2004 Hyundai Santa FE Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Santa FE years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 303 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Hyundai Santa FE. That ranks 9th out of 26 Santa FE model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (69 complaints, 23%), typically at around 91,315 miles. Complaints mention 32 crashes, 7 fires, 35 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 303owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 32complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Hyundai Santa FE problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 69 | 23% | 91,315 | “coil spring” (55%) | — |
| Air Bags | 43 | 14% | 90,412 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 39 | 13% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 25 | 8% | 124,337 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 24 | 8% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 22 | 7% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 7% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 18 | 6% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 16 | 5% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 5% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 4% | 70,964 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 4% | 72,125 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 4% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 2% | 96,180 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | 161,124 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 2% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 2% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 27,750 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 141,560 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 119,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 111,126 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Hyundai Santa FE recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model Year 2001-2006 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2000, through February 15, 2006, that are registered and operated, or which were originally sold and registered, in the following 20 Âsalt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road salt, causing the coil spring to fracture and make contact with the tire.
Risk: If the front coil spring fractures due to corrosion it could cause the coil spring to make contact with the tire, possibly puncturing the tire and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the coil spring, free of charge. The recall began on October 24, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 124.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5 liter v-6 engines, 4-wheel drive and antilock braking systems (abs), if the brake pedal is depressed at speeds between 3 and 12 mph when the brake pad friction surfaces are wet, a vibration may occur between the brake discs and pads causing abs sensor electronic signal noise to develop. At speeds below 5 mph, the abs sensor signal noise may cause the abs electronic control unit (ecu) to activate the abs, extending the stopping distance.
Risk: If an extended stopping distance occurs, it could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the abs ecu. Owner notification began on march 24, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Risk: The tire pressure labels do not contain the information required by the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a correct label and installation instructions. Owner notification began on october 29, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on six separate occasions, the vehicle had independently accelerated without warning. On one occasion, the vehicle had accelerated through a red light with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard. On a separate occasion, the…
In transit, it began smoking and the engine light came on. After pulling to the side, flames erupted and it became fully engulfed, followed by a small explosion. The vehicle and itâs contents were a total loss.
The contact owned a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 25 MPH the braking system malfunctioned and when depressing the brake pedal the vehicle did not reduce speed or stop causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of a second vehicle. During the…
driving in the rain hit brakes they locked up
This was a recall for hundai santa fe vehicles from 2001-2006. For unknown reasons I was not aware of recall. It was for 15 years or 150 miles. It is a danger as my car leaks gas. I am at 135,000 miles. But my car is a 2004. I purchased the vehicle in the last 2 years. I believe the recall should…
Other Hyundai Santa FE years
← 2003 Santa FE · 2005 Santa FE →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa FE | 37 | 4 |
| 2025 Santa FE | 135 | 5 |
| 2024 Santa FE | 155 | 7 |
| 2023 Santa FE | 211 | 1 |
| 2022 Santa FE | 201 | 5 |
| 2021 Santa FE | 167 | 7 |
| 2020 Santa FE | 216 | 2 |
| 2019 Santa FE | 202 | 2 |
| 2018 Santa FE | 109 | 2 |
| 2017 Santa FE | 970 | 6 |
| 2016 Santa FE | 236 | 3 |
| 2015 Santa FE | 254 | 2 |
| 2014 Santa FE | 493 | 3 |
| 2013 Santa FE | 605 | 3 |
| 2012 Santa FE | 353 | 1 |
| 2011 Santa FE | 181 | 2 |
| 2010 Santa FE | 259 | 2 |
| 2009 Santa FE | 358 | 2 |
| 2008 Santa FE | 541 | 4 |
| 2007 Santa FE | 684 | 7 |
| 2006 Santa FE | 106 | 1 |
| 2005 Santa FE | 216 | 3 |
| 2004 | 303 | 3 |
| 2003 Santa FE | 308 | 4 |
| 2002 Santa FE | 165 | 4 |
| 2001 Santa FE | 209 | 4 |
See all Hyundai Santa FE problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Hyundai Santa FE?
Owners most often report suspension, air bags, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 69 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Hyundai Santa FE?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Hyundai Santa FE a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Santa FE model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.